FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHARGE-AIR-COOLER PIONEER CALLS FOR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN CAC MATERIALS AND DESIGN
Industry Faces Aggressive Timeline to Meet New Clean Diesel Engine Requirements
Las Vegas, Nevada (March 15, 2005)— The CuproBraze Alliance announced today that, because significant changes will be required in thermal systems to meet upcoming emissions regulations for diesel engines, copper/brass could replace aluminum as the material of choice for charge air coolers.
Diesel engine makers are converging on workable solutions for reducing harmful emissions from diesel engines, in accordance with stringent regulations taking effect in the United States, Europe and Japan in the next few years.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Ford Motor Company recently announced a second phase of their technology partnership to develop a new diesel emission technology called Clean Diesel Combustion, which holds promise for providing a pathway for diesel engines to meet stringent emission levels for nitrogen oxides (NOx). A similar partnership between the EPA and International Truck and Engine Corporation was announced last year. Earlier Cummins, Caterpillar, International and Detroit Diesel Corporation announced intentions to meet the 2007-2009 NOx requirements using technologies generally based on various forms of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR).
There are many technologies in development for reducing NOx emissions. Specialists in combustion processes are performing much of the key research, yet there is broad recognition that significant changes in cooling systems will be required to optimize the combustion cycle.
Challenges for Thermal Systems
Carl Kiser of Honeywell Turbo Technologies, Thermal Systems is renowned for pioneering work on charge air coolers. His work encompasses a deep understanding of combustion processes as well as turbochargers and cooling systems.
Recently, Kiser sounded an alarm that OEM truck makers will need to make significant changes in their choices of heat exchangers and that they are facing aggressive deadlines.
Apart from the important design decisions regarding parameters for the combustion chamber, it is necessary to develop suitable cooling systems that can provide charge air and exhaust gas at the necessary temperatures and pressures. The major technologies in development include low-pressure and high-pressure EGR systems. There are many potential variations. The low-pressure loop offers advantages in efficiency; meanwhile, the elimination of pre-coolers is a design goal.
As Kiser explains, issues with thermal systems include EGR fouling and plugging, heat rejection, packaging, cost and durability. Performance degradation, engine compartment space, materials and processing, life cycles, thermal fatigue and corrosion are challenges with high-flow EGR systems.
Using a typical EGR turbocharger compressor map, Kiser noted how recirculation rates go up significantly with pressure- and airflow-range requirements. The conclusion is that the increase in heat rejection will challenge cooling system performance.
Challenges in Materials & Design
Having taken a hard look at current cooling systems and future requirements, and having outlined the impact of EGR technology on CAC design, Kiser points out the limitations of existing designs, especially 2004 CAC designs made from aluminum.
One driver of change is that, as the cooling requirements increase, customers are also demanding longer life cycles for cooling systems. But fatigue mechanisms of aluminum dictate that increasing metal temperature reduces the time before failure. Kiser pointed out a new failure mechanism that drastically reduces aluminum CAC lifetimes in low-pressure EGR systems.
Needless to say, Kiser concluded that heat exchanger materials and designs must change significantly by 2007. CuproBraze ® was repeatedly mentioned by Kiser as a candidate material for replacing today’s aluminum CACs.
A presentation by Kiser titled “Emissions Solutions Impact on Heat Exchanger Design” is available upon request. Carl Kiser can be reached at carl.kiser@honeywell.com.
For more information about CuproBraze visit www.cuprobraze.com.
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